Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injection molding system, and particularly to an injection molding system including an apparatus that acts in cooperation with a worker.
Description of the Related Art
In some cases, a molded part removal apparatus is installed along with an injection molding machine to remove a molded part and runners left in an opened mold after the molded part is molded in the injection molding machine. The molded part and runners removed by the molded part removal apparatus are then transported by the molded part removal apparatus itself, a molded part transport apparatus, or any other apparatus to a work area where a worker inspects the molded part. The molded part then undergoes good/no good evaluation on the basis of a result of the inspection and is sorted by molded part sorting means.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-349762 discloses a technology of a molded part removal apparatus that is mounted on an injection molding machine and removes a molded part when a mold in the molding machine is opened, and the molded part removal apparatus is so installed that an action space occupied by the molded part removal apparatus does not overlap with an operation space that a worker enters to operate an operation section of the molding machine. To this end, partitioning means for separating the action space and the operation space from each other, such as a safety fence, is provided, and a buffer area is set.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-40626 discloses a technology of a human cooperation robot system that allows a robot and a person to share an area for cooperation work, and when the value detected with a force sensor disposed in the robot or in a work apparatus at the front end of the robot exceeds a predetermined value, the robot is brought to a halt or the action of the robot is so controlled that the value detected with the force sensor decreases.
In the related art and the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-349762, the molded part removal apparatus itself or a transport apparatus, such as a conveyer, transports a molded part and runners to a work area where a worker works. To assure the safety of the worker in this process, it is necessary to provide a safety fence that separates the action area where the molded part removal apparatus or the transport apparatus operates from the work area where the worker works, resulting in an increase in the overall area of the injection molding system in some cases.
As for the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-40626, the document describes that a person and a robot work in a cooperative manner but disclose no specific cooperative work.